1984 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - SKH-1c-1984-03 Spike Head

Description

Expanding the spiked head census for 1984 Philadelphia into a third distinct die, SKH-1c-1984-03 on the Lincoln Memorial cent was documented by Cuds on Coins on October 8, 2018 — nearly two years after the first two entries. This gap in documentation dates illustrates how variety catalogs grow in bursts rather than steadily, with discoveries arriving whenever a new searcher turns attention to a particular date or when an experienced hunter revisits material previously set aside. The mechanics producing SKH-03 are identical to those behind the earlier entries: cyclic stress from repeated striking caused a fatigue crack to initiate at the perimeter of Lincoln's portrait recess and propagate outward into the die's field area. The crack's path was governed by local metallurgical conditions — grain boundaries, inclusions, residual stresses from quenching — producing a spike geometry unique to this die. Three spiked heads from a single date confirms that the portrait cavity on 1984-P dies was a consistent stress concentrator across multiple die specimens, not a one-off anomaly.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 10/08/2018.

External References